John McDermott, who is chairman of the Roscommon Hospital Action Committee, also ran as a candidate in the 2011 General Election and won more than 3,700 votes.

Members of the Hospital Action Committee stressed the nomination was based on the large number of people who made it clear at the local elections that the hospital is still a major concern for the area.

The by-election follows the election of former TD, Luke Ming Flanagan to the European Parliament and other candidates already in the field are Fianna Fail's Cllr Ivan Connaughton, and Independent candidate Emmet Corcoran, from Strokestown.